It is known in principle that electric switches, in particular power switches, are intended to be designed such that they can be shut off. The electric switches can be designed, for example, for operating machines or electric current circuits in buildings.
It may be important here for the electric switch to be able to shut off. For example, if maintenance work is intended to be carried out to the corresponding current network, it is of crucial relevance in terms of safety that the electric switch can be shut off in the off position thereof.
At the same time, there are use situations in which a plurality of electric switches are arranged next to one another. In this case, it may be relevant, expressly with regard to safety, for only a single electric switch ever to be switched on at one time.
In order to solve these problems, it is customary, in the case of known electric switches, to provide a cylinder lock which ensures that the respective electric switch is locked. For this purpose, use is customarily made of two different cylinder locks. Firstly, cylinder locks are known which permit the associated locking means, i.e. the key, to be removed in both positions, i.e. the off position and the on position, with respect to the locked switch. At the same time, however, it is crucial for use situations in which only a single electric switch should ever be switched on that the key can be removed only in the locked off position.
For this purpose, use is made of other cylinder locks which have to be fitted into the electric switches. The housing with corresponding locking grooves also has to be adapted to the respective embodiment of the cylinder lock.
In order therefore to vary between the described stand-alone solution with locking and unlocking and the key being able to be pulled out in any position (locking use) and a use situation in which the key can be pulled out only in the locked off position (interlocking use), different cylinder locks and different structural embodiments of the electric switches, in particular of the housings thereof, are necessary. This leads to increased costs and especially to different embodiments with reduced flexibility in respect of the use.